Glycerol 2-phosphate is the conjugate base of
phosphoric ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides are fa ...
of
glycerol
Glycerol (), also called glycerine in British English and glycerin in American English, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known ...
. It is commonly known as β-glycerophosphate or BGP. Unlike glycerol 1-phosphate and glycerol 3-phosphate, this isomer is not chiral. It is also less common.
Applications
β-Glycerophosphate is an inhibitor of the
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
serine-threonine phosphatase. It is often used in combination with other phosphatase/protease inhibitors for broad spectrum inhibition.
β-Glycerophosphate is also used to drive osteogenic
differentiation of
bone marrow stem cells ''
in vitro
''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology an ...
''.
β-Glycerophosphate is used to buffer
M17 media for ''
Lactococcus
''Lactococcus'' is a genus of lactic acid bacteria that were formerly included in the genus ''Streptococcus'' Group N1. They are known as homofermenters meaning that they produce a single product, lactic acid in this case, as the major or only pr ...
''
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
in
recombinant protein expression.
Notes
Organophosphates
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